The Paramount Decrees covered much more than a studio owning a chain of movie theaters. The Decrees created barriers between owners of production, distribution, and exhibition and set limits on what practices can be used by major studios to make movies accessible to the public.
Today the Decrees are considered “outdated” because of modern streaming technology. Big streamers like Netflix, Apple and Amazon are not subject to the same Decree rules as major studios like MGM and Paramount.
The idea is that since the streamers don’t have to abide by the rules, the Paramount Decrees and all of the antitrust laws it entails should be repealed to create a level playing field for movie studios and streamers alike. What gets lost in this argument is that vertical integration of the entire industry (major studios + big streamers) means independent filmmakers outside of the studio-streamer networks have an even harder chance of getting their films seen by a wider audience. What incentive do major streamers and studios have to buy independent films if they can just produce and exhibit their own films on their own platforms without paying for licensing?
Since the repeal, Amazon has bought the global distribution rights to Paramount as well as buying MGM outright. This type of ownership means Amazon controls global distribution of Paramount films and can stop movies from being released by independent theaters in favor of a wide release exclusively for Amazon Prime subscribers. This is bad for independent theater owners who miss out on a highly anticipated film because it goes straight to Prime. A partnership like this would never be possible prior to the repeal.
I’m interested in seeing how the Sony purchase of the Drafthouse plays out.